PURCHASE LINE: Seven FBLA students advance to state competition

[PHOTO: Seven FBLA members from Purchase Line High School qualified for the state conference April 7-9 in Hershey. From left are Sierra Misko, Jordan Barr, Cassandra Boring, Carly Mumau, Kelsee Lazor, Tyler Nu￱ez and Haleigh Mason. (Submitted photo/Purchase Line High School)]

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[PHOTO: Cameron Stover, left, an eighth-grader, won the Purchase Line Geography Bee and Kyle Gearhart, right, also in eighth grade, placed second. Social studies teacher Kathleen Cowden presented them with T-shirts as prizes. (Erica Mason/Purchase Line High School)

PURCHASE LINE — A big part of Future Business Leaders of America is competitive events. At the beginning of the school year, members can sign up to compete in a subject of their choice. They are typically given a textbook and a couple months to study.

FBLA held its regional conference at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown on Jan. 10. A few months prior, most of these members took an online test (at their home school). At UPJ, the judges announced who placed and who will continue to the state level.

[PHOTO: Seven FBLA members from Purchase Line High School qualified for the state conference April 7-9 in Hershey. From left are Sierra Misko, Jordan Barr, Cassandra Boring, Carly Mumau, Kelsee Lazor, Tyler Nu￱ez and Haleigh Mason. (Submitted photo/Purchase Line High School)]

Misko added, “I chose Introduction to Business because I took Mrs. (Debra) Fisher’s Business Sampler class last year. Since I already studied it, I felt it would help me do better on the test.”

Fisher would also like to give recognition to the students who didn’t make the state level, but placed: April Boyer, Public Speaking II, second place; Tabitha Yates, Business Communications, fourth place; Morgan Scalese, Economics, fifth place; Ashley Goodlin, Introduction to Business Communications, fourth place; and Allison Goodlin, Introduction to Business Communications, fifth place.

Typically, those who place first, second or third get to advance to states. “That rule applies to members who took the online test. With performance events, such as public speaking, they only take the first-place winner,” according to Boyer.

“Just like anyone else, I’m disappointed in myself for not making it to states; however, I’m a good sport about it. That’s what defines the word ‘competitive’ in competitive events,” Boyer said of her second-place finish.

“Having (the regional conference) at UPJ was difficult due to the weather, but it is a very nice facility,” said Fisher.

“This is an enjoyable trip because I can always count on students to be well-behaved. The food was really good as well,” added Fisher.

GEOGRAPHY BEE

Purchase Line’s Geography Bee was held Jan. 14 in the auditorium. It consisted of 10 seventh- and eighth-graders.

[PHOTO: Cameron Stover, left, an eighth-grader, won the Purchase Line Geography Bee and Kyle Gearhart, right, also in eighth grade, placed second. Social studies teacher Kathleen Cowden presented them with T-shirts as prizes. (Erica Mason/Purchase Line High School)

The students answering all seven questions correctly — Gearhart, Adams and Shultz — were automatically one of the 10 finalists.

After the preliminary rounds, a tiebreaker round was held Jan. 8. Of the 20 students who participated in the tiebreaker, seven earned a spot in the bee by answering six out of seven questions correctly.

“At first the finalists have choices to pick from in order to answer the question,” said social studies teacher Kathleen Cowden.

She has been organizing the geography bee since 2002.

In the ninth round Gearhart, had automatically advanced to the final round.

Two were left to battle out for the last remaining spot — Stover vs. Brady. Stover studied by looking at maps and the different countries.

“I’m glad I made it through,” said Stover.

“I like geography because it tests your knowledge of the world,” said Gearhart, who automatically advanced to the final round in the ninth round of competition and ended up placing second.

The final question was, “Tet is an important holiday celebrating the New Year in what country west of the Gulf of Tonkin?”